Research highlights the emotional toll of caregiving

University of ZurichNov 27 2024

New research from the University of Zurich, based on data from more than 28,000 caregivers in three countries, shows that the longer individuals spend caring for loved ones, the more their well-being suffers, regardless of the caregiving context. These findings underscore the need for policy discussions to alleviate the burden of informal care.

The prevalence of informal caregiving continues to rise globally, bringing abrupt changes to caregivers' lives. But how does caregiving affect their well-being? Past research offers conflicting views: some suggest it enhances well-being by providing a sense of purpose, while others report declines due to emotional strain.

To address this, a new study from the University of Zurich (UZH) analyzed data from 28,663 caregivers, who contributed 281,884 observations across panel studies in the Netherlands, Germany, and Australia. The results show a consistent drop in life satisfaction and emotional health, with an increase in loneliness and anxiety - particularly for women.

Well-being suffers over time

The results of our analyses showed a decline in well-being in the years following the start of caregiving. These declines were consistent across different aspects of well-being - life satisfaction, emotional experiences, depression/anxiety, and loneliness - and were more pronounced and longer lasting for women than for men."

Michael Krämer, co-author from the Department of Psychology at UZH

The researchers also explored how time spent caregiving affected well-being. They found that the more time people spent on caregiving tasks, the more their well-being suffered, regardless of gender. The study further examined factors like caregiving intensity, the relationship between caregivers and recipients, and full-time employment. Surprisingly, these factors had little influence on the overall decline in well-being, suggesting that caregivers face similar challenges across different contexts.

Mitigating the negative impact on caregivers

"While these findings highlight the stress caregiving can bring, individual experiences may differ," says Krämer. "There are other aspects of psychological well-being, such as finding a sense of purpose, that we couldn't assess with these data." Some caregivers may even find meaning in their role.

Overall, the findings are consistent with stress theory and show the potential decline in well-being that often accompanies informal caregiving. Women appear to be particularly vulnerable, likely because they tend to take on more intensive responsibilities for close family members. These findings highlight the need for policies that reduce the reliance on informal care, such as improved access to formal long-term care or blended care solutions that could mitigate the negative effects on caregivers.